slither

American  

[slith-er] / ˈslɪð ər /

verb (used without object)

1. to slide down or along a surface, especially unsteadily, from side to side, or with some friction or noise.

   The box slithered down the chute.

2. to go or walk with a sliding motion.

   The snake slithered across the path.

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verb (used with object)

1. to cause to slither or slide.

noun

1. a slithering movement; slide.

slither British  

/ ˈslɪðə /

verb

1. to move or slide or cause to move or slide unsteadily, as on a slippery surface

2. (intr) to travel with a sliding motion

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noun

1. a slithering motion

Other Word Forms

• slithery adjective

Etymology

Origin of slither

1150–1200; Middle English slitheren, variant of sliddren, Old English slid ( e ) rian, frequentative of slīdan to slide; -er ⁶

Example Sentences

I let an arm slither out from under the blanket and across the space between us.

From Literature

Still, he held on to a slither of hope.

From Barron's

He reared his head back, stuck his tongue out at me about a thousand times, then slithered on through the brush and disappeared.

From Literature

“Now, daughter, give the little man what you promised,” he said, his voice so oily it slithered.

From Literature

But she clipped the wall of the halfpipe halfway down the course and slithered to the base, losing a ski.

From Barron's

Related Words

• crawl
• glide
• skid
• slink
• sneak
• wriggle